


Sleepless Innocence

by Anntipasto



Category: Beyonders Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: Cause it's a children's series, Forced Insomnia, Hh it's fine, I really debated posting this, I'm so sorry b mull, POV Second Person, Submissive prisoner, Torture, implied future torture, you're a beyonder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:14:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anntipasto/pseuds/Anntipasto
Summary: You're taken prisoner by Chancellor Copernum, and your current torture is being forced to stay awake. A glimmer of hope in the form of a nervous scribe appears, and you make your first bid for freedom since you were captured. It doesn't go well.





	Sleepless Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Notes for people who clicked on this without knowing about the series:  
A Beyonder is someone who arrived in the world of the story from our world. Usually this is accidental and unpredictable.  
The Emperor, Maldor, is the main baddie in the books. He lives in Felrook Castle.  
Nervesong is a drug that makes "pressure feel like pain and pain feel unbearable."

"She's on day 2. Barely." Chancellor Copernum you lifted your chin, and you trembled in fear. "She quickly learned to stop trying to sleep."

Your eyes flickered to the other man, a thin, nervous scribe recording the Chancellor's words. You tried to catch his eye, to beg for mercy, but he steadfastly refused to look at you. It probably made his job easier. Your eyes snapped back to Copernum.

"She's very quiet and submissive. Not my usual temptation in this line of work. If she weren't a prisoner of the emperor, perhaps..." His hand gripped your chin tighter, thumb rubbing against your cheek. "But that is against the emperor's orders. For now." He glanced down to the scribe. "That last comment was never said."

The scribe nodded swiftly, bobbing his head many times while he spoke. "I heard nothing. Only that the prisoner is both quiet and submissive."

"And not of my usual variety. I want the emperor to know that." Chancellor Copernum looked back into your eyes, licking his lips. You whimpered softly, but didn't attempt to pull away for fear of what would happen if you did. "That might give him incentive to let me treat the prisoner to more of what she truly deserves."

"Yes, sir."

The Chancellor finally released you, and you slumped back down in the chair in which you were tied.

"Every time the prisoner's eyes remain closed for more than a blink's worth, punishment is administered as so."

Your eyes widened moments before the riding crop hit your already bruised and reddened thigh. A squeal tore through your lips as tears sprang fresh to your eyes. You were certain your eyes would look red, too, if you had been forced to look in a mirror. The dark circles would already be showing, worse than they had ever been since arriving in Lyrian. The scribe scribbled noisily in the corner.

"If her breathing becomes too even--" The Chancellor again slapped your thigh, harder and closer to your body.

You yelped, twisting at the rope holding your wrists down. The moment you settled down, the Chancellor continued.

"Similar punishment is administered irregularly, to keep her from falling into a state of being unaware. She knows what awaits her if she does fall asleep."

The scribe looked up, awaiting the answer himself. You tried to catch his eye to no avail. He stared resolutely at Copernum.

Chancellor Copernum smiled, pulling a small vial from his pocket. "Nervesong."

The scribe nodded and scratched his quill against his parchment. The vial leered at you, along with Copernum, and you finally got desperate.

"Please help me," you muttered, scarcely loud enough to be heard. You cleared your throat before trying again.

The scribe froze, looking directly at you for the first time. He looked troubled, and Copernum looked worried. That emotion quickly passed, falling into anger.

"I haven't dont anything to deserve this. I just want to go home, please." Your voice was far from steady, and you started crying as Copernum took a step closer, thankfully pocketing his vial of nervesong. "I'm a Beyonder, I came here by accident. I want to go home. I know Maldor knows a way, please, I just want to go home..."

"I haven't yet had the pleasure of teaching her what the punishment for being insubordinate is. She's been such a model prisoner before now." Copernum's eyes gleefully studied your face until the scribe spoke up.

"Sir... the record?"

"You heard nothing of the Beyond, or of Maldor's involvement with it."

"Yes, sir."

The Chancellor set the riding crop down on a shelf behind you, instead pulling out a large pair of what appeared to be pliers. He turned to the scribe. "You are dismissed, unless you desire to watch."

The scribe shook his head, face pale. "I'll send a report to Felrook at once, sir."

"See that you do." The Chancellor's plier's flashed briefly in the light as the door opened and closed behind the scribe, and then you were alone again with your tormentor. "See that you stay quiet from now on, won't you?"

You nodded, even as the pliers came closer to your face.


End file.
